Reversible name plate and holder



1936- A. c. BROOKEY 2,027,086

REVERSIBLE NAME PLATE AND HOLDER Filed July 12, 1935 Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REVERSIBLE NAME PLATE AND HOLDER Andrew C. Brookey, Mount Morris, Mich. Application July 12, 1935, Serial No. 31,090

7 Claims. (CI. 40-15 This invention is a novel combined reversible name plate and holder adapted to be fastened by means of screws or the like to the front of a house or room, with means for locking the reversible name plate in position in the holder.

In all industrial centers at the present time a large portion of the workers are on night duty and consequently sleep during the day, and hence 7 do notvcare to be disturbed during such rest period, and one object of my invention is to provide a combined holder and name plate which will serve notice that at certain times of the day (or night) the occupant of the house or room does not care to be disturbed by strangers, salesmen or agents. The name plate being reversible in the holder, can be used as a name plate, per se at other periods.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, novel and efiicient holder and reversible name plate which will be economical to manufacture.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one Y practical embodiment thereof to enable others to 26 adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims, the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired. r

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the holder attached to a support, and displaying one face of the reversible name plate which is mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder, de-

SI tached, with the name plate removed, and showing the key in the lock.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the name plate, looking at the face shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the name plate,

showing the opposite face thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of the holder, with the name plate mounted therein as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5,

4 showing the latch in looking engagement with the name plate;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the latch shifted in release position by the key.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the key, detached.

50 Fig. 9 is a transverse section through the upper guide showing the tongue which holds the name plate down in the lower guide.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the upper guide in way of the tongue shown in a 66 Fig. 9.

The holder I is preferably made of metal and, as shown, is of general rectangular shape, and has a perforate ear 2 at each end for the reception of screws 3 or the like for securing the holder to the wallW or other surface. The top and bottom 5 edges of the holder are flanged, as at 4, at right angles to the main body portion of the holder, and then flanged inwardly, as at 5, parallel with the main body portion of the holder, to form opposed guide slots for receiving the top and 1:] bottom edges of the reversible name plate, hereinafter described. Preferably the main body portion of the holder I is joggled, as at 6, adjacent the upper and lower edges of the same, i. e., in way of the guides, so that the guide portions of 15 the holder will be spaced sufficiently in advance of, or out from, the main body of the holder so that the name plate may be inserted edgewise into the guides of the holder without interference by the heads of the screws-3 which secure the holder to the wall W, as indicated in Fig. 5.

The reversible name plate preferably comprises a metallic base 1, preferably formed of brass or other non-rustable metal, upon one face of which, as shown in Fig. 4, may be engraved or otherwise displayed indicia, such as the house owners name. On the opposite side of the base is placed a suitable indicia card 8 over which a transparent plate 9 of glass or cellophane is disposed, the top and bottom edges of the base 1 being rolled or flanged as at In over the top and bottom edges of the transparent plate 9 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, to secure the parts together, thereby producing a reversible name plate.

The name plate is inserted edgewise into one end of the guides of the holder and is pushed inwardly until the advancing edge engages a stop ll (Fig. 2) which is preferably formed integral- 1y with the body of the holder, the same preferably comprising a tongue struck out of the metal 40 of the holder. At the opposite end of the name plate, when thus disposed in the holder, is a spring latch (Figs. 1, 6, 7) which preferably comprises a flat spring member l2 mounted within the upper guide and overlying the top edge of the name plate, and having its inner end riveted as at l3 (Fig. 1) to the flanged portion 4 of the guide, and having a lip I4 on its outer end adapted when the name plate is inserted in the holder to yieldably engage the trailing end of the name plate adjacent the upper corner thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 to prevent removal of the name plate until the flat spring member I2 is raised by actuation of a suitable key [5 inserted in a keyhole l5a in the guide below the spring member l2, to raise the member l2 as shown in Fig. 7 and thereby raise the lip l4 out of the path of movement of the name plate.

In my construction, as the upper guide overlies the upper end of the name plate, rain and I ice will be prevented from entering between the glass 9 and the indicia card 8, and my construction thus provides a substantially waterproof construction. Hence my device is so designed that if placed on the exterior of a house, with no covering, moisture will not affect the indicia card 8, since very little if any moisture can enter between the parts of the name plate.

Means are provided adjacent the end of the upper guide opposite from the spring latch l2 to hold the said end of the name plate down in the lower guide so that the name plate will not tilt in the guides due to the action of latch I2 acting on one end of the name plate. Said means preferably comprises a tongue I! (Figs. 1, 9 and 10) struck out of the back of the holder under the lip 5 of the upper guide, by slitting the metal of the holder as at 16, and bending the tongue I! formed between the slits l6 so that same extends into the upper guide whereby the lower edge will engage the upper edge of the name plate and hold the adjacent end of the name plate down in place in the lower guide. Preferably the tongue is inclined downwardly towards the stop if so that as the name plate is being inserted in the guides the forwardupper corner of the name plate will engage the tongue I? and will be deflected downwardly so that the tongue will ride over the upper edge of the'name plate.

7 When the occupant of the house, or room, does not care to be disturbed the name plate is inserted in the holder so as to display the proper indicia as shown in Fig. 1; while at other times the opposite face, shown in Fig. 4 may be disposed outermost to display the desired indicia and the latch will effectively retain the name plate within the holder until released by actuating the key which is removaby inserted in the keyhole I5a.

The card 8 may obviously display other indicia than that shown in Figs. 1 and 3; for instance, the card may denote sickness in the house or room and request that the occupant be not dis turbed, or may convey some other appropriate notice or request.

I claim:-

1. In combination, a holder adapted to be mounted on a support and having parallel guides; a plate in said guides, means for limiting the entry of the plate in the guides; means for looking the plate in the guides comprising a yieldable member overlying an edge of the plate, and having a lip adapted to engage the plate; and key means for shifting the yieldable member.

2. In combination, a holder adapted to be mounted on a support and comprising a member having opposed parallel guide. slots; a reversible name plate in said slots comprising a plate bearing indicia on both faces; means for limiting the 5 entry of the plate in the slots; and means disposed in one of the slots for locking the plate in the slots.

3. In a combination as set forth in claim 2, said means comprising a yieldable member over- 10 lying an edge of the plate, and having a lip adapted to normally engage the end of the plate; and key means for shifting the yieldable member.

4. In combination, a card holder adapted to be mounted on a support and comprising a member 15 having opposite edge portions flanged to form opposed parallel guide slots; a reversible name plate in said slots comprising a plate bearing indicia on one face, an indicia bearing member against the opposite face of the plate; a trans- 0 parent member against the indicia bearing memher; the edges of the plate being rolled over the edges of the transparent member; means for limiting the entry of the plate in the slots; and means for locking the plate in the slots. 25

5. In a combination as set forth in claim 4, said means comprising a flat spring member in one guide slot overlying an edge of the plate, and having a lip adapted to normally overhang the end of the plate; and key means for shifting the spring member.

6. In combination, a card holder adapted to be mounted on a support and comprising a member having opposite edge portions flanged to form opposed parallel guide slots; the said plate having joggled portions adjacent the slots to offset the guides from the plane of the member; a reversible name plate in said slots comprising a plate bearing indicia on one face, an indicia bearing member against the opposite face of the plate, a transparent member against the indicia bearing member; opposite edges of the plate being rolled over the edges of the transparent. member; means for limiting the entry of the plate in the slots; and means for locking the plate in the slots. 7

7. In a combination as set forth in claim 6, said means comprising a fiat spring member in one guide slot overlying the edge of the plate, 03 and having a flanged lip on one edge adapted to normally overhang the end of the plate; key means for shifting the spring member; and. a member in the guide slot overlying the edge of the plate adjacent the end opposite from the spring member to prevent tilting of the plate in the guide slots.

ANDREW C. BROOKEY. 

